DORIS MAE MERSON

With great sadness, we announce the death of Mrs. Doris C. Merson, Life member of Elkridge Volunteer Fire Department.

Mrs. Merson died on Friday, July 14, 2023, at the age of 95, with her family by her side.

She was born July 27, 1927, in Philadelphia, PA.

She then moved to Toms River, NJ and then to Arizona, where she graduated from Chandler High School.

She then moved to the Baltimore area, and married William L. Merson, Sr., on October 28, 1950.

Mrs. Merson is the mother of Bill Merson (Sandy), Robin Watson (Don), & Lauri Yonker (Danny). She was preceded in death by her husband Bill Merson, Sr., grandson, Brian William Merson, her parents Leo and Elsie; brother and sister in law Jim and Joyce Carey, as well as numerous brothers and sisters in law in the Merson family. She is also survived by 10 grandchildren - Tracie Faith, Mark, Matthew and Michael Merson, Stacey Zour (John), Sara Zour (Jim), Tim Watson (Rachel), Emily Pyles (Danny), Claire Berkheimer (Tim) and Sam Yonker (Karly), and 21 great-grandchildren - Wyatt Merson; Allyson, Ellianna and Nathan Zour; Zachary, Emma, Jamison and Delaney Zour; Gavin, Sloane and Merryn Watson; Haylee, Addisyn, Abbagail, Blakelyn, Carter and Liamm Pyles; Eli, Natalie and Ethan Berkheimer; and Luke Yonker. Her sisters in law Kyle Merson and Patricia Merson also survive her.

Mrs. Merson joined the Elkridge Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., in 1971, one year after her husband Bill (who was Assistant Chief at Elkridge VFD at the time of his death) passed away. She took both fire and EMS classes. She ran on the Thursday night duty crew for many years and was famous for making popcorn for everyone on the Thursday night duty crew. She was an Ambulance Lieutenant for a few years and also was the Secretary to the Board of Directors and was elected the first female president of a volunteer fire department in Howard County. She loved serving the community of Elkridge in this way and won numerous awards. She was also a member of the CISM team and was deployed with BC (retired) Don Howell and DC (retired) Dan Merson for flood relief in Kentucky. She is a member of the Howard County Volunteer Firemen's Association Hall of Fame.

Mrs. Merson worked throughout her later life and supported her children as a single mom when that wasn't a common thing to do. She worked as a substitute teacher at Elkridge Elementary School earlier in her life, and then worked briefly at Howard Community College when it first opened. She then went to work for Howard County Government and was the first female dispatcher at Central Alarm (at that time). She then transitioned to administrative work and worked for the County Administrator and as Secretary to 2 County Executives (J. Hugh Nichols and Elizabeth Bobo), retiring as Ms. Bobo's secretary.

She then worked as an administrative assistant at the Elkridge Volunteer Fire Department. Upon her move to Smithsburg, she worked at the Hagerstown Community College Institute for Retired Learning.

She moved to Smithsburg, MD in 1994 and lived in an apartment attached to her daughter Lauri's home.

Upon her move to Smithsburg, Doris attended St. Paul's United Methodist Church and then Garfield United Methodist Church.

Her favorite activities, in addition to the Elkridge Volunteer Fire Department, and Melville Chapel United Methodist Church, where she served as President of the United Methodist Women years ago, were: participating in plays - she appeared in plays with the St. Augustine Amateur Drama Guild, Thurmont Thespians and the Blue Ridge Theatre Guild. There are many fond memories of her riding with her family and memorizing her lines!

She also LOVED to travel. She went on many cruises with family members, bus trips to Maine with her great- granddaughter Haylee once and her granddaughter Emily once, and also traveled on the QE 2 and the Orient Express. She traveled to China, the United Kingdom with friends, as well as to Scotland and Ireland with her granddaughter Claire. She also went on a cruise with her great-granddaughter Addisyn. She took numerous trips with her other grandchildren. She also assisted with many trips through the IRL at Hagerstown Community College.

As noted above, she greatly enjoyed her activities with the Elkridge Volunteer Fire Department. She was a member of a lasting legacy of family members who were in the Elkridge Volunteer Fire Department, Ellicott City Volunteer Firemen's Association, Little Orleans Volunteer Fire Department, as well as family members who worked in the Baltimore County Fire Department, Baltimore City Fire Department and the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services.

Mrs. Merson lived a well- rounded life and leaves many family members to cherish her years of independent and exciting living.

A Memorial Service in honor of Mrs. Merson, will be held on Friday, August 18, 2023, at the Melville Chapel United Methodist Church, 5660 Furnace Avenue, Elkridge, MD 21075 at 11:30, with fellowship and food immediately following at the Elkridge Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., Hall, 5700 Rowanberry Drive, Elkridge, MD 21075.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the following:

Elkridge Volunteer Fire Department (address noted above)

Melville Chapel United Methodist Church (address noted above)

Arrangements were made with J.L. Davis Funeral Home and online condolences can be offered at www.jldavisfh.com.